Electrical make and break apparatus



Dec. 15, 1931.

w. DORN ET AL 1,835,654

ELECTRICAL MAKE AND BREAK APPARATUS Filed sgpi 1, 192

j n ven fans Wa/f'er 00m Max Hana Xe Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED, s 'm'ras- WALTER DORNIAN'D MAX HANDKE, OF'S'IUTTGART,

GERMANY, ASSIGNORS T aoBEa'r BOSCH AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, OF STUTTGART, GERMANY- EIEGTRICAL MAKIIAND BREAK APPARATUS Application filed September 1, 1927, Serial No.

The invention relates to electrical contact or make and break apparatus of that type in which the conductors are mounted in an evacuated vessel or one filled with an inert gas.

It has previously been proposedto pass the movable electrode through a membrane or diaphragm mounted in a glass vessel, in order to provlde external operation of so-called vacuumcontactbreakers. Itis however extremely diflicult to obtain an airtight connection between the metallic membrane and the glass vessel and consequently-the known construction has not become of. any importance.

According. to the present invention, the elasticity of the hermetically sealed vessel itself is used to actuate the apparatus or the like enclosed within the vessel, from without.

For this purpose, the vessel preferably of glass is constructed so thatportions thereof are sufliciently elastic toallow of movement and in this way can act mechanically on the enclosed apparatus.

Several examples of the application ofthe invention to electrical vacuum contact breakers Tshawn in longitudinal section in the drawings in which Figure 1 is a cross sectional View, of one form of hermetically sealed vessel together with one form of means for slightly displac ing portions of the vessel in order to connect or disconnect the electrical conductors.

the movable conductor at right angles to the view shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 isa modified formof construction to that shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 shows a further modified form of construction. 9 v.

Figure 5 shows also a further modified form of construction. I

In the construction shown in Figure l a hermetically sealed vessel d, preferably of glass but obviously of any other vitreous material possessing elasticity hasa thin-walled tubular extension 1), into which is fused a movable electrode 0. A fixed electrode d is fixed into the opposite end of the glass ves- 218,938, and in Germany September 13, 1926.

sel. The electrodes are preferably made of molybdenum wire, the overlapping ends forming the electrical connection. They are provided with contactse and 7 which are very simply constructed by bending the ends of the wires into helices as shown in Figure 2. The glass vessel a is held between jaws 2'.

The extension I) carrying the movable electrodeis deflected by a cam disc g, the cam surfaces on which press against theextreme end of theextension b. On each application of pressure by the cam-disc g, the "contact e is raised from the contact f and the electric.

circuit is broken. It is advantageous to allow the cam disc to act on a spring member which transmits the movement to the element 6, and not directly on the latter.

In the construction shown in Figure 3, the contacts-e and f are not separated transversely of the apparatus but longitudinally there of by means of a tension on the glass vessel, which is again effected by a cam disc 9 pressing on a pin h which is mounted on the outermost end of the electrode 0. The

contact breaker is secured at the other end by any suitable means. The glass vessel a is provided with walls m acting as a membrane or diaphragm, or is made like bellows, in order to obtain the necessary elasticity.

Figure 4 shows a contact breakerin which the contact 0 is operated directly by a glass or other rod k connected with the tubular I extension." T his rod 74 transmits the pres- Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of sure exerted on the extension I; by means of the cam disc 9 to the electrode 0 and thus separates the two contacts 6 and f. The

device may be so arranged that the rod'lc presses alternately on the two electrodesw and d so that each pressure on the extension 5 results in two breaks, thus doubling the v number thereof. Alternatively the rod is may be distorted longitudinally with its tubular portion'b to make or break the contact between the electrodes 0 and d.

The contact breaker shown in Figure 5 has a glass vessel with two extensions 7) for the two electrodes 0 and d, arranged in the form of a V. The contact breaker is held so that the two elements 6 are actuated simultaneouscontact and actuating means vessel and adapted tension out of its longitudinal axis to disconnect the contacts.

b the samemeans 9. The advantage of this construction is that the contact breaker is shorter. 4

Any 'other means may be used for moving the contacts, instead of the cam disc, e. an electroimagnet, the armature of whic is connected to the lass vessel or the elastic portion'the'reof. The high resistance .of the vacuum acting as insulator or of a suitable gas, causes the instantaneous breakin of the electric current. As a result of t is roperty, it is unnecessary, for example, w en using the con-. tact breaker for igmtion apparatus in internal combustion engines, to use the condenser hitherto usual. y

We declarethat what we claim is 1. Electrical make and break apparatus in- .cluding a hermetically sealed vessel of vitreous elastic material, a pair of contacts within said vessel, a elongated tubulanextension containingone, contact and actuating means to distort the tubular extension laterally in.

.order to move the contact connected, thereto thereby connecting and disconnecting the contacts'.

2. Electrical make and break apparatus including a hermetically sealed vessel of vitreous elastic material, a pair of contacts within said vessel, a tubular extension'containing one to bend the tuba-- lar extension out of its longitudinal axis to disconnect the contacts.

3. Electrical make and breakapparatus including a hermetically sealed vessel of vitreous elastic material, a pair ofcontacts within said vessel, a tubular extension containing one contact, a cam situated externally of the to bend the tubular ex- 4. Electrical make and break apparatus including a hermetically sealed vessel ofa vitreous material possessing elasticity, a pair of contacts within said vessel, a pair extensions each containing one contact and. actuating means to distort one tubular extension laterally to make or break the contact between the contacts.

eluding a hermetically vitreous material possessing 5, Electrical make and break apparatus insealed vessel made of elasticity, having a relatively thin elasticportion and a relatively thick substantially rigid portion, a pair of contacts secured in said vessel, one of said contacts being securedin the said rigid portion, and actuatin means for directl .mov-' ing said thick ri portion to move t e 0011- tact secured thereto to connect and disconnect said contacts. I

6. Electrical make 'and break apparatus including a hermetically sealed vessel made of vitreous material possesslng elasticity, having a relatively thin elastic portion and a relatively thick substantially rigid portion, a pair comprising a hermetically of tubular of contacts secured in said vessel, one of said contacts beingi arranged to receive motion from said rigi portion, and actuating means .for directly moving said to move the contact associated therewith to connect and disconnect said contacts.

7. A circuit breaker for ignition apparatus sealed vessel of a vitreous material possessing elasticity, a pair of contacts within said vessel, a cam disk arranged to impart movement to a portion of thick rigid portion the vessel by distortion of the vessel, and

means for transmitting movement from said portion to one of said contactsi 8. Electrical make'and break apparatusineluding a hermetically 7 soil, ii

sealed vesselbf a vitreousmaterial possessmg elasticity, a air of make and break contactswithin sai vessel and actuating means for exerting pressure periodically and. in rapid sequence on a portion of said vessel to deflectthe'same and thereby connect and disconnect the contacts. 9, An apparatus as in' claim 8 in which the interior of the vessel is substantially free of gases capable of acting upon the material orming said vessel. 10. An apparatus as in claim. 8 in which the vessel is evacuatedi v 11. An apparatus as in claim 8 in which the contacts are supported by conductors" which pass through the walls of the vessel and the latter are, fused to the conductors to make air-tight contact therewith.

. In testimony whereof we have hereunto af- 

